The government aims to embed historical and transitional justice for the nation’s Aborigines into the “DNA of democratic life in Taiwan,” President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.
She made the remark at the 10th meeting of the Presidential Office Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee in Taipei.
Starting from “nothing,” her administration over the past three years has established the committee as a vehicle for dialogue and gradually opened discussions about “difficult topics,” she said.
However, despite its efforts, the government has yet to change the attitude of everyone in society, Tsai said.
Some citizens still do not understand what land rights Aborigines have or why they deserve certain benefits with regard to government policies on language, culture and education, she added.
The first attitude that had to be changed three years ago was the idea that past injustices were to be taken for granted, Tsai said.
Three years later, the government must “work even harder,” because certain misunderstandings and biases have not been completely eliminated, she said.
As part of the amendments made to the Education Act for Indigenous Peoples (原住民族教育法) last month, the government would expand the audience for Aboriginal education to include all citizens to encourage mutual understanding and respect between people from different ethnicities, she said.
It is the committee’s duty to uncover historical truths, restore the historical perspectives of Aboriginal groups and start meaningful discussion, Tsai said.
Over the past two years, under the leadership of its convener, Bavaragh Dagalomai, the subcommittee on reconciliation has hosted 120 seminars and expanded the possibility of inter-ethnic communication and understanding through Facebook, she said.
To speak up about the repressions that people endured in the past is to carry out historical and transitional justice, Tsai said.
It is also an expression of justice to find the names that were “lost,” she said, referring to “assimilation policies” that were adopted by past governments.
Whether it be individuals or places, there are laws and policies in place to help Aborigines reclaim their traditional names, she said.
The government seeks to initiate more dialogue and help the public better understand Aboriginal culture, Tsai added.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
RSS